Back     Latest news from Green Building Press    Subscribe to our newsletter

EU hedges its bets on energy saving

Posted: 24/11/2006

European Industry and Economy Ministers have ducked out of concrete commitments to cut energy waste at the EU Energy Council meeting. The Energy Council discussed a proposed target to reduce EU energy waste by 20 per cent by 2020 but did not commit to actually achieving it. Mary Taylor, Climate Campaigner for Friends Of The Earth said: "Europe has a vast potential to stop wasting energy, but EU ministers constantly fail to agree concrete steps to tap into that potential. Europe's governments must swap their grand words with real action, based on binding targets and powerful legislation."

The "Action Plan on Energy Efficiency", emphasises the potential of reducing energy consumption by 20% by 2020, but ministers failed to make this a binding target to steer future policies and investments. Achieving this target could, apart from cutting CO2 emissions, bring huge economic benefits for the European Union.

Governments also failed to stress the need for concrete and effective policies to complement the Action Plan. Friends of the Earth said the plan fell short in several sectors, especially in the transport sector, which already accounts for more than 30 per cent of energy use in the EU, and is growing.

Taylor continued: "If the EU wants to secure its long-term energy supply, then cutting its appalling waste of energy should be the top priority. Road traffic burns up 80% of Europe's oil imports and the fuel efficiency of cars is barely improving - car makers got away with weak voluntary targets so they are just sitting back. Binding standards are absolutely necessary."

The group also criticised the lack of ambition to promote more efficient use of energy in the buildings sector... The existing Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is only up for revision in 2009, even though it is already clear that it fails to cover most of the building stock and will fall a long way short in deliver the potential energy savings in this sector. EU Ministers failed to address this policy gap in the Energy Council today, say FOE.

The energy saving potential is biggest in the large stock of private buildings across Europe. For example, a typical Belgian house is as badly insulated as a typical house in Spain - despite the very different climatic conditions. But buildings of a surface area of less than 1000 m2 are excluded, neglecting up to 90% of the potential to save energy. Ideally, European laws on energy use of buildings would set standards both for total energy use as well as the use of renewable energies to supply buildings with electricity or heat.

The full details of possible energy savings can be accessed at Energy Efficiency Action Plan, p.3, http://ec.europa.eu/energy/action_plan_energy_efficiency/index_en.htm)

Green Building Press  
 

Back     Latest news from Green Building Press    Subscribe to our newsletter

1706